Thermal conductivity of near-stoichiometric (U, Pu, Zr)C solid solutions

The thermal conductivities of near-stoichiometric (U, Pu, Zr)C solid solutions containing ZrC up to 10 mol% were determined in the temperature range from 680 to 1600 K by the laser flash method. The thermal conductivities decreased with the ZrC content in the solid solutions. It was found from the measurements of the electrical resistivities that the decrease was mainly caused by the decrease of electronic heat conduction. Discussion was also made on the size effects of the substitutional atoms in (U, Pu)C, which may result in increasing the residual resistivity. (orig.)